Category Archives: Marriage Equality

Senator Jennifer Beck has flip flopped on marriage equality and women’s healthcare due to politics. However, when it comes to protecting the streets of Asbury Park, Long Branch, Red Bank and the 11th District – She is siding with Governor Christie’s drastic cuts.

Unless your name is Whelan, Gordon, Polistina or Driscoll, most insiders see the post-redistricting legislative election year landscape as a bore snore: 37 or 38 Senate cocoons all but perfectly preserved against an opposing party onslaught.

But Democrats want to soften up their rivals where they can, and in light of the public safety argument, in particular, some of them see at least the shades of an opportunity in the newly formed LD11, where state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-11) seeks re-election.

“They think they have an opportunity to play there,” Patrick Murray, pollster and political scientist for Monmouth University, told PolitickerNJ.com.

Beck broke with Republicans Monday to vote in favor of restoring $7.5 million for women’s healthcare, signaling to Democrats that the incumbent is serious about a challenge from Freehold attorney Ray Santiago.

Today, state Sen. Paul Sarlo, (D-36), zeroed in on Beck as he tried to get her to consider backing restoring a line item of $50 million for public safety, a doomed proposition along with the other Christie cuts to the Democratic budget.

“I can only look at the budget as a whole,” Beck told Sarlo.

Democrats hope Beck’s reconfigured district, which now includes urban municipalities Long Branch and Asbury Park, will present outrage opportunities for the challenger as they try to sink Beck by tying her to Christie.

Two inside sources told PolitickerNJ.com that while they doubt they can topple Beck, Assembly Democrats want to try to get into a dogfight with the GOP in the 11th to pick off Beck’s running mate, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande of Colts Neck

The following is a statement issues by 11th District Democratic Senate Candidate Ray Santiago in response to a July 3rd Courier Post news report that incumbent Senator Jennifer Beck will flip her position on marriage equality:

“News this weekend that Senator Beck will now support marriage equality after voting against it when all of New Jersey was watching is not shocking to anyone who has followed Beck’s career as a professional politician. She now faces a district which includes Asbury Park, Ocean Grove & other LGBT friendly areas – a new district which has 10,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans – therefore, it should come as no surprise that Senator Beck is flipping her position only due to politics.The reality is that New Jersey taxpayers are tired of hypocritical, professional politicians who change their positions based on the political climate. Republicans, Democrats and all New Jerseyians should be tired of politicians who play the public. It is not like the Senator opposed marriage equality because it is in her belief system, it was simply due to the politics of a new district.This is an issue of human rights and Senator Beck plays politics – She voted against marriage equality not once, but twice – once in the judiciary committee and a second time on the floor of the senate and now because of a new district, she claims she supports it.

When it mattered most and the world was watching, Senator Beck decided to appease Chris Christie and her Tea Party base. All New Jerseyians who support human rights and full marriage equality for all of our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community will see through Beck’s incredible hypocrisy.

I have and always will support full marriage equality for all New Jerseyians and 11th district residents can be assured that I will not change my position based on politics. Marriage equality is a human rights issue which I will fight day and night for until it becomes law. It is a sad day to see a New Jersey state senator play politics on an issue of human rights.”

As we know from my last post, the state Senate Judiciary Committee last night narrowly approved historic legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in New Jersey by a 7-6 margin.

It was a bold move on their part but the fight for marriage equality does not end there, there is still work to be done. The Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act now moves to the Senate floor for a full vote on Thursday.

It has been pointed out to me that one of the main reasons why New York’s marriage equality bill was defeated recently was because New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. who is usually a gay rights supporter voted no on the the NY state gay marriage bill. He stated the reason for his “No” was over 70% of the email, calls and letters on the subject were against the bill.

The roll call vote was made it was carried out in alphabetical order, so his early no vote was an excuse for others to vote no and defeat the bill.

We can’t allow this type of situation to happen again here in New Jersey, it’s time to contact your NJ State Senate representatives and let them know that marriage equality for same sex couples is not a religious issue but a civil rights issue that is morally right.

Alphabetically Monmouth County’s represntative Sen. Jennifer Beck(R-12th), would vote 5th and there for could sway others vote for or against this legislation. Call or email her office and tell her to vote in favor of marraige equality on Thursday unlike her vote Monday night against it.

Then do the same for each of Monmouth County’s other State Senators Joe Kyrillos (R-13th) and Sean T. Kean (R-11th). Let them know that the rights that all opposite sexed couples share should be passed on equally to all couples that love each other irregardless of their sexual preferences.

If you don’t live in Monmouth County but wish to contact one of your State Senators to express your support for the Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act, here is thecontact list for all of New Jersey’s legislative members

After nearly nine hours of testimony and debate the state Senate Judiciary Committee Monday night narrowly approved legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in New Jersey.

The panel voted 7 to 6 in support of the measure, the Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act, at 10:07 p.m. and sent to the full Senate for a floor vote on Thursday.

The vote was met with loud applause and cheers by most of the people in the hearing room.

Voting in favor of the proposal were Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex), Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a co-sponsor of the measure, Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), Sen. Bob Smith, (D-Middlesex), Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson), and Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), the other co-sponsor. Voting in opposition were Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), Sen. John Girgenti (D-Passaic), Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Somerset), Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth), Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), and Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth).The hearing at the Statehouse Annex in Trenton grew testy at times as committee members and proponents and opponents of the legislation snapped at each other. At one point, Cardinale called a lawyer who was testifying a liar and moments later Gill, an attorney, apologized on behalf of the panel.

Proponents and opponents of the bill on the committee agreed to end public testimony at 9:10 p.m. Testimony began at 2:28 p.m.

The following letter, which was signed by more than 200 prominate democrats from around the state, was sent to the State Legislature in an effort to convince members there to support marriage equality:

We believe that equality and fairness are fundamental principles of New Jersey’s Democratic Party, and that is why we call on the state legislature to vote immediately on, and pass, the marriage equality bill.

New Jersey has a proud history of supporting civil rights. It was this legacy that encouraged many of us to become involved in politics. We believe that allowing committed gay and lesbian couples to marry is, at its core, about treating our family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors with dignity and respect.

We appreciate that this is a difficult issue for some state legislators. But marriage equality is an idea whose time has come. We are confident that the voters will stand by those elected officials who do the right thing.

When our children and grandchildren look back on this moment, we want to be able to tell them that we, too, did the right thing.

As Martin Luther King poignantly reminded us, “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” That is why we’re proud to lend our names and our voices to this important cause. We do so in our capacity as private citizens and Democratic voters, and not on behalf of any particular office or organization.

In the wake of reports indicating that New Jersey lawmakers may be reluctant to bring a marriage equality bill to the floor during the lame duck session, some 200 Democrats sent a letter on Tuesday urging senate and assembly leaders to take a vote on the bill.

The prominent Democrats want action on the measure before the session ends and governor-elect Chris Christie, a Republican who has vowed to veto the marriage equality bill, takes office on January 19.

According to the Associated Press, “the Democrats, including members of congress, fundraisers and lobbyists , released a letter to leaders in the senate and assembly Tuesday demanding the bill be voted up or down before the lame-duck session ends in January.”

On Monday, a report in the Star-Ledger suggested that prospects for the marriage equality bill looked extremely bleak. Lead sponsor Senator Loretta Weinberg was quoted as saying, “I can’t say I’m confident now.”